“Ancient Secrets Unveiled: Divers Discover Olive Oil Shipwreck from the 9th Century, Revealing a Maritime Mystery!”
The ship sank during a storm, leaving its valuable cargo preserved underwater for more than a millennium.
Discovering Artifacts From A Medieval Shipwreck Found Off Türkiye’s Coast
Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration at Akdeniz UniversityThe researchers’ exploration vessel.
In 2024, Associate Professor Hakan Öniz, head of the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration at Akdeniz University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, began exploring the waters near Türkiye’s Besmi Island, located roughly 90 miles east of the ancient city of Rhodes, home to the famed Colossus.
These research expeditions, supported by the Underwater Archaeology Museum in Kemer, were meant to collect scientific and historical data related to historical sites of interest that are located just off the coast of the mainland. During their 12-month research, Öniz and his team focused heavily on one wreck in particular: a 1,100-year-old ship that was found roughly 40 to 50 meters deep. The wreck was a known tourist spot, although no one had recovered any artifacts due to its largely inaccessible depth.
Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration at Akdeniz UniversityThe research vessel hoists items from the wreck.
Working with underwater robots, Öniz and his team explored the wreck and discovered a plethora of amphorae, two-handled ancient jars used for storing and transporting goods in the ancient world. The crew was shocked to find both olive seeds and traces of olive oil inside the containers — artifacts that had never been recovered in Türkiye’s waters before.
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